This invention relates generally to improved apparatus for mounting impellers on rotating shafts. More specifically, but not by way of limitation, this invention relates to an improved apparatus for mounting an impeller wherein pins extend through the impeller hub into the rotating shaft and are held in position therein by a resilient metallic band.
Various apparatus have been devised in the past for mounting gears, impellers, and the like on rotating shafts. Such apparatus have included splined interconnections, keys located in mating keyways cut into both parts, set screws located in the impeller hub extending into frictional engagement with the shaft, and collet type connections providing a frictional interface therebetween. Other apparatus have included extending screws or bolts through the shaft and hub and some have included the positioning of a pin that extends through the hub into the shaft and is held in position therein by various devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,830,577 issued Aug. 20, 1974 to Rampe et al illustrates the use of a pin connection fastening a gear to a shaft. The pin is held in place by a deformable band that encircles the hub and encompasses the pin. Each of the aforementioned methods of attaching impellers or gears and the like to rotating shafts has been successfully used, but each has limitations which restrict their use. For example, the splined interconnections are extremely expensive and can be used only where a solid shaft is utilized, keyways are expensive and unless two are provided, are inherently unbalanced, and thus cannot be used on high speed equipment, and deformable bands such as that shown in the Rampe patent mentioned above are also inherently in balanced.
An object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive means for attaching an impeller to a shaft that may be inherently balanced and that may be utilized even with thin wall shafts.